The present invention is directed to a device for contacting each of a plurality of tubular piezo-electric transducer elements which are arranged in rows and encapsulated in a synthetic material to form a printing head for an ink printing device.
A device for contacting tubular piezo-electric transducer elements in a printing head of an ink printing device is disclosed in German OS 27 40 773. In this device, the transducer elements are disposed in rows and diverge radiantly from an ink discharge opening with the diverging elements being encapsulated in a synthetic material such as plastic. The device for contacting and positioning consist of a sheet-like flexible conductive film on which the transducer elements that are to be contacted are disposed and contacted by wire helixes which are received on the inside of each of the transducer elements. The outer surface of each of the elements is contacted by a solder connection. Subsequent to securing each of the elements on the foil, the entire arrangement of foils is then encapsulated in a synthetic material or plastic with wire segments or mandrels being temporarily placed to extend through each of the transducer elements to maintain the desired position for the elements and after the synthetic material has been cured, these wire segments or mandrels are removed to form the ink channels.
The above described manufacturing method is relatively expensive. Since automation of the manufacturing process can only be conditionally possible, it is very expensive when adapted to a mass production process.